III.

Stairs and staircases

III.1. Stairs and their types
Stairs lead from oor to oor. They are of several types. The common ones are: (a) (b) a sloping slab spanning from one oor to a landing or another oor a sloping slab carried on sloping beams from one oor to another or to a landing.

Typical reinforcement details are given for these staircases on Sheet Nos III.1 and III.2. As seen there are several variations in the presentation of the structural detailing of staircases. In all situations the staircases have landings and waste as shown in the key diagram (i) on Sheet No. III.2. The dimensions are established in III.3. The rise of the stair does not usually exceed 150 mm and the tread 250 mm including a nosing of about 25 mm beyond the vertical surface of the rise. The load for which these staircases is designed varies with the type of building. In all circumstances, the detailer must check specications with the structural engineer prior to carrying out reinforcement details.

III.1.1. Specications and basic data on staircases

A stair is constructed with steps rising without a break from oor to oor, or with steps rising to a landing between oors, with a series of steps rising further from the landing to the oor above. There are three basic ways in which stairs are planned: (a) (b) (c) a straight ight stair, which rises from oor to oor in one direction with or without landing a quarter turn stair, which rises to a landing between oors, turns through 90, then to the oor above a half turn stair, which rises to a landing between oors, turns through 180, then rises, parallel to the lower ight, to the oor above. This type of stair is sometimes called dog-leg or scissor-type stair.

III.1.1.1. Geometric stairways

The stairs mentioned above are generally freestanding ones. In addition to these, stairs known as geometrical stairs can be designed into spiral, helical, circular, elliptical and other shapes. They can all be in concrete, steel, timber or combination. The stairs are sometimes described as open well stairs where a space or well exists between ights. Again, in free-standing stairs the main types are: (a) (b) (c) type 1: those supported transversely or across the ight stringer beams are needed on one or both sides type 2: those spanning longitudinally along the ight of steps either on walls or on landing beams or on wall beams type 3: cantilever type projecting from walls or wall beams with each step acting as a cantilever
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STAIRCASE REINFORCEMENT

SHEET NO. III.1

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STAIRCASE WITH SLAB CONSTRUCTION

SHEET NO. III.2

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STAIRCASE ELEVATION

SHEET NO. III.3

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(d)

type 4: combination of type 2 and type 3 every 4th or 5th step is cantilevered with sloped soft with a slab continuous between two steps.

III.1.2. Stairway layouts

Stairway layouts depend on several factors including building type and its layout, choices, material, etc. Comfortable stairways should be designed in relation to the dimensions of the human gure. The British Standard on stairs BS 5395 (1977) denes some of these dimensions in Figure 1.6. The British and the European practices use the following criteria for width, length and headroom, etc. (a) (b) Flats two storey to four storey wF 900 mm; more than four storey wF 1000 mm. Public buildings using each oor under 200 persons wF 1 m; 200 to 400 persons wF 15 m; in excess of 400 persons 150 mm to wF 3 m. Where the width is 18 m or over, the width should be divided by a handrail. The length and rise a minimum of three steps and a maximum of 16 steps. There must not be more than 36 rises in consecutive ights without a change in the direction of travel of 30 or more. The total rise must not exceed 6 m.

(c)

III.1.2.1. Landings, landing beams and ights

A quarter space landing in wood is generally supported by a newel post carried down to the oor below. In small houses quarter or half turn stairs are sometimes constructed with winders instead of quarter or half space landings. Winders are triangular shaped steps constructed at the turn from one ight to the next. The landing beams are designed as rectangular or anged beams, for the reactions from the two ights or steps on one side and the landing on the other. These are available in steel, concrete, timber and composite. There are two types of wood string, namely, the open (cut) and the close (closed) strings. In wood their top edges project some 50 to 60 mm above the line of nosing or tread. Wall strings are closed ones. The outer strings, particularly those made in timber, are cut to the prole of the treads and risers and are secured by wood bearers screwed to both strings and treads or risers in the underside of the ight. Sheet No. III.4 gives additional basic layouts and data for various parameters required for the planning and design of staircases. The dimensions and other specications are derived from the general layout of the building or structure where the stairs are to be used. Two typical layouts given on Sheet No. III.5 show the exact positioning of these staircases with respect to grid work and oor levels. Sheet No. III.4 gives beam/slab/column reinforcement layouts with respect to a staircase. Sheet No. III.5 gives a beam/ slab/column plan on a section showing levels and grid work. These staircases will have the reinforcement details as outlined on Sheet Nos III.1 and III.2. There are a number of other types, such as stairs cantilevered from a side wall, spiral stairs with sides cantilevered out from a central column and freespanning spiral stairs. They can be easily designed and detailed. Geometrical stairs are described on Sheet No. III.6. Precast concrete staircases have recently become very popular and a number of companies are involved in producing them. In this book Birchwood
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III.1.2.2. Strings or stringers

III.1.3. Additional basic layouts and data

STRUCTURAL DETAILING IN CONCRETE

STAIRCASE WITH THE BEAM SLAB ARRANGEMENT

SHEET NO. III.4

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GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLAN FOR CONCRETE STRUCTURES SHEET NO. III.5

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GEOMETRICAL STAIRS

SHEET NO. III.6

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prestressed concrete staircases are shown on Sheet Nos III.7 to III.10. Sheet Nos III.7 and III.8 give sectional elevations and plans of staircase details. The stairs are connected to precast concrete oor units which themselves are connected to cross-landings and bearings. Sheet Nos III.9 and III.10 show typical reinforcement details for stairs, bearings and landings. Loading and material specications are given on each drawing. The standard accepts vinyl tiles, sheet or carpet direct. Where any two or more members join, it is recommended to use site-applied screed to the landing. Dimensions and details for the rise and going for these stairs are given below in Table III.1.
Table III.1. Dimensions and details for the rise and goings of staircases (information abstracted from Building Regulations 2000 and International Building Code 2000)
Staircase type Private giving single access Common giving joint or multi-access Disabled Institutional and assembly buildings Any type not described Rise (max.) 220 190 170 180 190 Going (min.) 220 240 250 250 250

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BIRCHWOOD PRECAST CONCRETE STAIRCASE

SHEET NO. III.7

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BIRCHWOOD PRECAST CONCRETE STAIRCASE

SHEET NO. III.8

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BIRCHWOOD PRECAST CONCRETE STAIRCASE Reinforcement Details 1

SHEET NO. III.9

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BIRCHWOOD PRECAST CONCRETE STAIRCASE Reinforcement Details 2

SHEET NO. III.10

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III.1.3.1. Data for geometric stairways

A brief introduction to these staircases is given in Section I.1. It is vital to give brief data on spiral/helical staircases. These staircases are manufactured in a variety of diameters. The most common materials for tread and platform are steel, aluminium and wood. Steel and aluminium can be smooth plate, checker plate, pan or tray type and bar. A variety of hardwoods can be used. For exterior or wet area interiors, zinc-chromated rust inhibitor, black acrylic enamel and black epoxy are usual. Platform dimensions usually are 2 in. (50 mm) larger than the stair radius. Table III.3 in Sheet No. III.11 gives specications for spiral and helical stairs. Where horse-shoe shapes are involved, the data for helical stairs circular in plan are modied include the geometry of the inclined straight arms. The data collected are from countries such as Britain, Spain, USA, Germany, Sweden, Pakistan, India, Italy, Turkey and Japan. A reference is made to some structural details of various geometric stairways given on Sheet Nos III.12 to III.17.

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SPIRAL/HELICAL STAIRS: PARAMETERS AND FRAMING DIMENSIONS

SHEET NO. III.11

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HELICAL STAIRS PLAN SECTIONS (BASED ON EC2) RC DETAILING

SHEET NO. III.12

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HELICAL STAIRS (BASED ON EC2)

SHEET NO. III.13

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BASE MATS AND STEPS (HELICAL STAIRS) (BASED ON EC2)

SHEET NO. III.13 (contd)

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MIXED RC STAIRCASE (BRITISH CODES)

SHEET NO. III.14

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SHEET NO. III.14 (contd)

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SHEET NO. III.14 (contd)

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GRANDSTAND STAIRS (BASED ON EC2)

SHEET NO. III.15

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HELICAL STAIRCASE DETAILS (BASED ON EC2)

SHEET NO. III.16

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CANTON ADMINISTRATION BUILDING (MORGES) SWITZERLAND (BASED ON EC2)

SHEET NO. III.17

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III.1.3.2. Loads and load combinations

Loads and their combinations vary from one country to another. The partial safety factors associated with these loads vary as well and they largely depend on whether the stairs are analysed by the elastic, limit state, strength reduction and other concepts. In general, it is easy to compute dead loads and loads due to self weight and nishes. The disagreements are on the imposed loads (3 kN/m2 to 5 kN/m2) and the partial safety factors for loads and materials. Several examples in the text will indicate this dilemma. The general opinion is that steps should be loaded also with concentrated loads. The British practice is to check individual treads by placing on them two loads of 09 kN at 300 mm spacing and placed symmetrically about the centre line of the tread. For details, individual codes should be consulted. For materials and their allowable stresses, individual codes are referred to.

III.1.3.3. Materials and stresses III.1.3.4. Additional specications for the reinforcement of concrete stairs

Reinforcement size A standard range of bars and sizes is available for use in reinforced concrete. They may be hot-rolled (mild steel, high yield steel) or cold worked (high yield steel). Bars are made in a range of diameters from 8 to 40 mm. Special sizes of 6 and 50 mm are seldom available. The specication for steel covers chemical composition. Tensile strength, ductility, bond strength, weldability and cross-section area can be found in various codes. Fabric Fabric reinforcement is manufactured to BS 4483 and to ASTM 1992 requirements. There are four types of fabric made from hard drawn mild steel wire of fy 485 N/mm2 or from cold-worked high yield bars.

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